Social service providers are giving state legislators a giant earful as budget negotiations go down to the wire and devastating program cuts and layoffs loom. In front of the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago this morning, several hundred protestors gathered to voice their support for new revenue in the form of an income tax hike. Wearing Casa Central School Age Program T-shirts, a group of children led the chants, screaming "Save our money! Won't back down!" Officials from the YWCA were out in full force as well, carrying signs reading "Support Women In Crisis." Under the bare-bones budget passed by the legislature before the end of session, more than 116,000 abused women, children, and families will no longer have access to rape crisis services. "Lawmakers are using human services as a pawn," said one YWCA organizer. "Shame on you!"
Democratic Rep. Julie Hamos shared the protestors' frustration and implored her colleagues to show political courage and vote for sufficient revenue increases. Watch excerpts from her remarks below:
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